Project Gutenberg's Off Course, by Mack Reynolds (AKA Dallas McCord Reynolds)

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Title: Off Course

Author: Mack Reynolds (AKA Dallas McCord Reynolds)

Illustrator: Kelly Freas

Release Date: September 19, 2009 [EBook #30035]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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[Illustration]

_Shure and begorra, it was a great day for the Earth! The
first envoy from another world was about to speak--that
is, if he could forget that horse for a minute...._

off course

By Mack Reynolds

Illustrated by Kelly Freas

First on the scene were Larry Dermott and Tim Casey of the State Highway
Patrol. They assumed they were witnessing the crash of a new type of Air
Force plane and slipped and skidded desperately across the field to
within thirty feet of the strange craft, only to discover that the
landing had been made without accident.

Patrolman Dermott shook his head. "They're gettin' queerer looking every
year. Get a load of it--no wheels, no propeller, no cockpit."

They left the car and made their way toward the strange egg-shaped
vessel.

Tim Casey loosened his .38 in its holster and said, "Sure, and I'm
beginning to wonder if it's one of ours. No insignia and--"

A circular door slid open at that point and Dameri Tass stepped out,
yawning. He spotted them, smiled and said, "Glork."

They gaped at him.

"Glork is right," Dermott swallowed.

Tim Casey closed his mouth with an effort. "Do you mind the color of his
face?" he blurted.

"How could I help it?"

Dameri Tass rubbed a blue-nailed pink hand down his purplish countenance
and yawned again. "Gorra manigan horp soratium," he said.

Patrolman Dermott and Patrolman Casey shot stares at each other. "'Tis
double talk he's after givin' us," Casey said.

Dameri Tass frowned. "Harama?" he asked.

Larry Dermott pushed his cap to the back of his head. "That doesn't
sound like any language I've even _heard_ about."

Dameri Tass grimaced, turned and reentered his spacecraft to emerge in